Morning opening: G7 leaders meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
Leaders of Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are meeting in Évian-les-Bains in France for talks on Ukraine, the Middle East, and (waves arms) the world on fire.
After last night’s arrivals, it’s time to sit down and talk issues this morning, beginning with Ukraine.
The leaders will be joined by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as they try to keep US president, Donald Trump, on side amid fears he could be tempted to once again engage with Russia circumventing Europe.
Just as the leaders are about to sit down for their talks, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces struck a Moscow oil refinery last night in a “response” to recent attacks on Kyiv.
“Russia must be forced to end the war against our people,” he said.
The leaders will also talk about the Middle East …
… and their relations with rapidly growing economies elsewhere before taking part in a number of bilateral meetings and a formal dinner later tonight.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 16 June 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
And here is the photo that Germany’s Friedrich Merz so desperately wanted you to see this morning of the moment he gifted Trump a German national team football shirt with his name and the number 47 on it (Trump is the 47th US president).
Trump’s grandfather, Friedrich, was born in Kallstadt, Germany in 1869, theoretically potentially making Trump eligible to play for Germany (quite a long shot, but these days…).
World Cup diplomacy at its most desperate finest.
G7 start delay shows it’s a one man show, really – snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
Guess these extraordinary scenes only show one thing: for all the combined might of the G7, this summit is essentially about managing one man, the US president, Donald Trump and his positions on the issues of the day.
To see other leaders kept waiting for nearly an hour as Macron, Trump, and Zelenskyy were not in the room is very unusual.
And when Trump eventually walks in, Merz almost runs towards him in a hope of getting a nice photo op in early.
Given Trump it’s all not that surprising, but still extraordinary.
This is utterly bizarre.
EU’s Costa gets another briefing from someone and tells leaders they will be able to start the meeting in five minutes.
Canada’s Carney comes back with “it was five minutes five minutes ago.”
And UK’s Starmer is trying to figure out what’s happening asking if “they” are having a meeting up there.
“The longer it takes, the better,” Carney appears to be saying.
And just like that Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy walk in to join them in the room.
Germany’s Merz rushes straight to Trump to give him a football shirt of the German national team, which he at first seems to be slightly reluctant to accept, but eventually poses with it for photographers.
And they close the doors for the media, with the meeting now finally about to start.
There appears to be some sort of confusion with an official briefing the leaders on the growing delay and thanking them for their patience.
“We’re optimistic he will come,” Meloni says, looking around, in what looks like her telling EU’s Costa that someone is speaking with Zelenskyy.
Given that we are missing Macron, Trump and Zelenskyy, it doesn’t take a particularly wild guess to figure out what might be happening behind the scenes.
So what we now have is the leaders of Canada, EU, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK waiting for Trump, Macron and Zelenskyy.
It sounded as if someone, possibly Meloni, was telling some sort of story that involved the White House, but it’s impossible to make out what it was.
G7 leaders arrive for talks on Ukraine
We are now getting live pictures of the leaders arriving (slightly late) for today’s talks, with France’s Emmanuel Macron deep in conversation with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The French president is walking casually, hand in pocket, while Zelenskyy appears to be explaining something.
Some last minute chat on tactics before they meet with Trump, surely?
The other group of leaders – including Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Japan’s Sanae Takaichi, and EU’s Ursula von der Leyen – are standing in a circle waiting for others to arrive.
About the only words I can make from their chat is “ChatGPT,” and Meloni mentioning cigarettes, so make of that what you will. More as we get it, I guess.
Morning opening: G7 leaders meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
Leaders of Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are meeting in Évian-les-Bains in France for talks on Ukraine, the Middle East, and (waves arms) the world on fire.
After last night’s arrivals, it’s time to sit down and talk issues this morning, beginning with Ukraine.
The leaders will be joined by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as they try to keep US president, Donald Trump, on side amid fears he could be tempted to once again engage with Russia circumventing Europe.
Just as the leaders are about to sit down for their talks, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces struck a Moscow oil refinery last night in a “response” to recent attacks on Kyiv.
“Russia must be forced to end the war against our people,” he said.
The leaders will also talk about the Middle East …
… and their relations with rapidly growing economies elsewhere before taking part in a number of bilateral meetings and a formal dinner later tonight.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 16 June 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.